Amusement apparatus.



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Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

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AMUSBMENT APPARATUS.

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APPLIOATIN FILED AUG. 6, 1907.

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0. NICHOLS. AMUSIMENT APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG.6, 1907.

11,@699629, y IPatentedAuga,1913.

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CHARLES NICHCLS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSQURI.

AMUSEMENT APPABATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ning'. 5,1913.

Application filed August 6, 1907,- Seral No. 357,282.

T0 all whom t may concern Beit known that I, CHARLES NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jacksoniand State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description Aof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to Which it appertains t0 make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. i

My invention relates to an amusement apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for representing by means of a display board equipped'with suitably disposed figures and lights, the progress of a' base ball gaine or similar event wliclfis taking place at a distance from the board.

Itis .the object of my invention to pro- `vide an apparatus of this .class vvhich. will picture to the spectators each individual play made in the game, together with temporary and permanent recording parts, and means by which the standing of the opposing teams may loel shown during the progress' of the game. i y

In accomplishing this object I utilize ay board or screen of suitable size, upon Which is marked a representation of a base-ball diamond. Each of the base positions is provided With a device which may be illumi-l nated or darkened at will, and each players position is provided With a pair of similal` devices, the latter being adapted to show diilcrent colors, and those indicating the bases being preferably of a ,thi-rd color, in order that the lights of each class may be readily distinguished from those of another class.

In the customary positions, adjacent to the diamond are indicated the benches for the players of the opposing teams, and extendingA from each bench to the home plate, is a train of lighting devices which may be illuminated to indicate the travel of a player as he goes to bat; and extending around the diamond on the base lines are trains of similar devices which may be illuminated to indicate the travel of a runner around the basesl Adjacent to the diamond is a list of the players; those on the saine team being arranged one below the other in regular batting order, and those of the opposing team arranged in similar order adjacent to the lirst list, there being a lighting device scparating the players in relative positions on the two' lists to indicate the players Who are at bat or on the bases, and a similar device over each list, by which is indicated the team at bat.

Below the batting order are three Sets of lighting devices by which are indicatedthe outs made by the team at bat, and the balls and strikes record of the player at bat, each individual set o such devices being of a distinct color, in order that the information soughtijto be imparted thereby may more easily be grasped by the spectators.

Adjacent to the devices mentioned is' an ordinary score board, and conveniently placed are other boards by means of which information regarding games between other teams in the same or other leagues may be given.

To add interest for the spectators, I pro* vide a megaphone which projects through the board or screen, and through which the operator may call the plays. I further provide a gong which may be rung when a score is made, and a bell or'l different tone for indicating a hit when made by the batter.

Vhile any suitable lighting devices may be used in connection with my apparatus, I prefer to utilize( that shown in the drawings which I will, with the rest of my construction, now describe in detail Reference being had to the accompanying drawings in Wl1ich Figure I is a view in front .elevation of an apparatus constructed according to my invention. Fig. Il is a rear elevation of saine, illustrating the light controlling mechanism.

Referring more in detail to the drawings--l designates the board or screen upon the center of which is marked the representation .of the base ball diamond. at each base position of which is a socket for an incandescent light bulb., the body of which socket projects through a perforation in board land carries a switch mechanism by which current is turned into and from the bulb by an operator who stands behind the board. ,As before stated the light bulbs located at the base positions are of a distinct color, and on the drawings are given the character G to indicate green. Adjacent. to the several base positions and in the customary positions in the eld are iigures to represent players, and adjacent to each of such guresis a pair of incandescent light bulbs having sockets mounted and connected as described in relation to the base lights, one bulb ot' each pair being White and the other red, as indicated by characters W and R.

(/1-g2-g/3-g4 designate lights which etend in a train between the bases, and, as these lights are utilized to indicate the trayel'of a runner between the' bases, they are. also preferably of a green' color. Connected with each of such lights is a separate wiring which leads to a switch sg1-sg2-sg-'sg4, such parts being so arranged that when either of the switches noted are turned on, the current will travelforwardly through the train to represent a runner traveling from'one base tol the' next.

Extending from the players benches B-.B1,

are similar trains ,QL-g, whichlead to the home plate, and switches similar to those controlling the base line trains, and by which current may be turned into said trains to give a representation oi a batter traveling from the bench to the batting position.

At the outside of the foul lines and beyond the first and third base positions are the light bulbs R-R1 by which may be indicated the fact that a foul has been struck by the batter,'these bulbs being preferably colored red to more clearly distinguish them from other bulbs used in the apparatus.

The batting order and scoring parts have been previously mentioned, and are shown in the drawings Where the names of the players of the local and opposing team-are' indicated on hangers, andra light bulb G4, preferably of .a green color is shown separating relative hangers of the opposing teams and a bulb W, is located aboveeach of the lists,'each cin said bulbsbeing carried in a socket having a switch'SG4 and 5W, at the back of the board by means of whichthe bulbs are illuminated and darkened.

Below the batting order are three sets of Alight bulbs the first containing three bulbs G5 of a green color to indicate outs and having the word Outs marked thereover; the second containing four bulbsR1, of a red color to indicate balls called on the batter,l

incandescent switch-board by whichthe apparatus is operated, and a part of the wiring for furnishing current`for vthe lights; but as no invention is claimed .on the individual parts, such as the switches or wiring, I will not de-' scribe same, as the mechanical parts are well known and the wiring such as could be properly arranged by a skillful electrician to connect .the lighting parts previously mentioned. Besides these switching parts I provide the board with a gong P, by means of which the operator may indicate the scor.- ing of a runner, an alarm O by whicha hit made by, the batter may be indicated, and a Amegaphone M, which projects through board 1 with its open end directed toward the spectators, and by which the operator may describe plays to aid the apparatus in giving a realistic and intelligent understanding of the play. y

' It will be noticed vthat the bulbs by which the plays relating directly to the team at bat, such as the base and batting bulbs are colored green, and the bulbs at the ielders positions are colored'white and red; this arrangement is made to distinguish the teams as far as possible, in order to obviate' contusion in the plays.

To give a better understanding of the apparat-us, the play for a half inning will be described: As 4previously mentioned the spectators are seated 'in front of the board, and the operator is stationed in its rear,

where he receives reports from the game by telegraph or in any suitable way. Upon being advised which team is at bat, the operator turns the switch which lights the bulb over the batting order for that team, which for illustration, we will take to be the local team here shown to be Kansas City; the next information vreceived is that the play ,-is begun and the name vof the man who has Y gone to bat, lwhich -is imparted to .the spectators bylighting the bulb G4 opposite thatk players name, by turning the switch sg'1 for that particular light, and by starting the traveling light train ge, by turning the proper switch to indicate the travel of a pla-yer from the local bench to the batting position. Should the batter strike a ball or have a strike called on him by the umpire, .one of the bulbs W1 is illuminated. A second strike being called, the second whiteV bulb is illuminated, andthe third strike being made, the third bulb W1 lighted; the catcher who has held the third strike is then shown to'have made a put out, by having his white bulb illuminated, and the iirst green bulb G5 is then illuminated to indicate the out, and the other bulbs darkened,

with the exception of that'at the head of the batting order. The next batter then has his light in the batting order turned on and the train G6. indicated his travel to the plate. He hits the first ball outside the left field foul line, and the. red bulb R is lit up to show the foul and the first bulb W1 is lighted to show one strike; three balls arecalled successively 'and are shown by bulbs R1; a strike is called and shown by the second bulb W1, and then a vfourth ball is called which entitles the batterv to his base; the fourth bulbR1 is illuminated, and the current turned into train g1 to show the player traveling to first ;-upon the train having run out at the base position, the base light G1 is illuminated to indicate the runners position. The ball and strike indicating bulbs are then darkened; the bulb G4 oppositethe next bat- Ater is illuminated and the train g6 again operated to indicate the player going to bat. This player knocks the first ball to the short stop', Who makes an error in fielding it, allowingthe player at lirst to go to second and vthe batter to reach first; Ato represent this play, the red bulb adjacent to the short stop position is illuminated to indicate his error,

the trains g2 and glare operated to indicate the travel of the played 4from iirst to second, and the batterto first, and the base bulbsG?` and G2 lighted to indicate the positions of the men on the bases. Another player then'goesto bat and hits to center for one base, the small bell ringing once'to indicate a base hit, the train g1 and base light G1 Aoperating as before; the man at second scores, and theman previously `lon first, takes second on the hit, trains g2,g3 and g4 operating to show their travel, and the gong ringing to indicate the score; the bulbopposite theY scorers name on the batting his retirement from the play. Another batter is then up, who hits a ball vto the second baseman, who fields it to the shortstop who has covered the second base and the runner who has been forced o' `of first. is out at second; the second lbasemans white light being illuminated to indicate that he has' fielded order being extinguished to indicate illuminated to indicatethe travel ofthe runners. As the man `ati-second is out, his batting order bulb is .extinguished and another out shown at G5.' .The next batter up, ies out to the right fielder Whose white light is illuminated to` show the play. The side having made three outs all of the lights are extinguished,.the bulb'over the opponents batting order illuminated and the process repeated as described. -f

Having thus described In invention, what I claim as newtherein, an desire to secure by Letters-Patent is-'- 1. An amusement apparatus comprising a background suitably marked to represent a baseball diamond, lighting devices at the base positions, andon the .lines connecting said base positions, and means for illuminating said .devices to'shovv` a` train of light traveling between 'the base positions.

2. An amusement apparatus comprising a background bearing a representation of a base ball diamond, lighting devices extending between the basepositions, and means for separately operating the devices between the diii'erent base positions to illuminate and darken each set independent-ly of the others.

3. An amusement apparatus comprisin a background bearing a representation o a base ball diamond, showing players positions and benches, a series of lighting de- 4Vices'leading from each bench to the batting position, and means for turning current .into each ofsaidseries Vfor the purpose set forth.

' A In testimon whereof I aiiix my signature '1n presence o two wltnesses.

, Y CHARLES NICHOLS.

Witnesses: i

JOHN F. WADE, STANLEY SAVAGE. 

